Azalea plant named ‘Provence’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Azalea  plant named ‘Provence’, characterized by its dark green-colored leaves that do not abscise during the cooling and forcing periods; uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; relatively rapid flowering response; large rich lavender-colored flowers; double flower form; and excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good flower substance for about five weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Rhododendron hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Provence’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Azalea, botanically known as Rhododendron hybrida, an evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Provence’.

The new Azalea is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Azalea varieties having uniform plant habit, profuse and uniform flowering response, dark green foliage, good foliage retention during the cooling and forcing periods, resistance to Cylindrocladium and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Azalea originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in April, 1997, in Alva, Fla., of the Azalea cultivar Sonnet, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,784, as the female, or seed, parent with the Azalea cultivar Lavender Lace, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,137, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Azalea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., on Feb. 13, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Azalea by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Azalea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Azalea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and/or light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Provence’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Provence’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Dark green-colored leaves that do not abscise during the         cooling and forcing periods.     -   2. Uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Relatively rapid flowering response; plants begin flowering         about 25 days after cooling treatment.     -   6. Large rich lavender-colored flowers.     -   7. Double flower form.     -   8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining         good flower substance for about five weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sonnet, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Azalea have lighter colored foliage than         plants of the cultivar Sonnet.     -   2. Plants of the new Azalea flower more uniformly than plants of         the cultivar Sonnet.     -   3. Petal margins of plants of the new Azalea are smoother than         and not as ruffled as petal margins of plants of the cultivar         Sonnet.

Plants of the new Azalea differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Lavender Lace in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Azalea are more upright than and not as         spreading as plants of the cultivar Lavender Lace.     -   2. Plants of the new Azalea have smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Lavender Lace.     -   3. Plants of the new Azalea have double flowers whereas plants         of the cultivar Lavender Lace have single flowers.

Plants of the new Azalea can be compared to the plants of the cultivar YBAZ1885, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,372. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Azalea differed from plants of the cultivar YBAZ1885 in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Azalea flowered earlier than plants of the         cultivar YBAZ1885.     -   2. Plants of the new Azalea had darker colored flowers than         plants of the cultivar YBAZ1885.     -   3. Plants of the new Azalea had longer postproduction longevity         than plants of the cultivar YBAZ1885.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Azalea. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Azalea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Provence’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Provence’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. with three plants per 15-cm containers, in a polypropylene-covered shade house during the autumn and under commercial production conditions. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 37° C. and night temperatures ranged from 0° C. to 26° C. Plants were pinched at planting, pinched a second time about twelve weeks later, and then pinched a third time about twelve weeks after the second pinch. After sufficient flower bud development, plants were covered at 3° C. to 5° C. for about four weeks to break flower bud dormancy. Plants were subsequently forced into flower under commercial production conditions in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Plants used for the photographs and description were about one year old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rhododendron hybrida ‘Provence’. -   Commercial classification: Evergreen greenhouse-forcing type Azalea. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Rhododendron hybrida cultivar             Sonnet, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,784.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Rhododendron hybrida cultivar             Lavender Lace, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,137. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About five weeks at             temperatures of 24° C. Winter: About six weeks at             temperatures of 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About nine             weeks at temperatures of 24° C. Winter: About eleven weeks             at temperatures of 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial, evergreen; uniform             and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; inverted             triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit. Densely             foliated; full and bushy plants. Uniform and freely             flowering habit with numerous double flowers per plant.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching; about five primary             lateral branches develop after the initial pinch (removal of             terminal apex); numerous secondary and tertiary branches             develop after the sequential second and third pinches.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter, area of spread.—About 37 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter at             base: About 6 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture, developing: Pubescent, fine brown hairs.             Texture, mature: Woody; pubescent, fine brown hairs. Color,             developing: Close to 144A. Color, mature: Close to 165A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Foliage             retention: Very good foliage retention on plants of the new             Azalea that have been in a box for six weeks during the             cooling treatment. Length: About 3.75 cm. Width: About 2 cm.             Shape: Mostly elliptic. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; leathery,             tough. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: Much darker green than 147A; venation, close to             147A, towards the base, close to 146A. Developing and fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 146B to 146C. Petiole: Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A to             146B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Natural flowering season.—Spring after sufficient cool             period. If forced, plants typically flower about 25 days             after a four-week cooling treatment; relatively rapid             flowering response. Flowers persistent.         -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Flowers arranged singly             at terminals with usually about five to six flowers per             apex; uniform and freely flowering habit. Flowers face             upward or outward.         -   Flower appearance.—Flowers rotate and rose-like; double             flower form with two outer whorls of petals and an inner             whorl of petaloids (transformed stamens).         -   Postproduction longevity.—Excellent postproduction             longevity; under interior conditions, plants maintain good             flower substance for about five weeks.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7.4 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Flower bud (before showing color).—Length: About 1.3 cm.             Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 146A             to 146B.         -   Petals/petaloids.—Arrangement: Double flower form; two outer             whorls of petals each with about five imbricate petals and a             single whorl of five imbricate petaloids (transformed             stamens); petals and petaloids fused at the base. Flowers             appear full and rose-like. Petaloids variable in size and             shape. Outer whorl of petals: Length: About 3.5 cm. Width:             About 2.9 cm. Inner whorl of petals: Length: About 3.1 cm.             Width: About 2.3 cm. Petaloids: Length: About 2.9 cm. Width:             About 2 cm. Shape, petals and petaloids: Beyond fused base,             roughly spatulate with acute to broadly acute apex. Margin,             petals and petaloids. Entire; undulate; somewhat ruffled.             Texture, petals and petaloids, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color, petals and petaloids: When             opening and fully opened, upper surface: Initially 78A, then             becoming closer to 77B with development. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 77B.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Five in a single whorl, fused;             subtending the petals. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About             5 mm. Shape: Deltoid to ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface: Between 144A             and 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Flexible; strong. Texture:             Very pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed, typically             all stamens transformed into petaloids. Gynoecium: Quantity             of pistils per flower: Typically one. Pistil length: About             2 cm. Style length: About 1.6 cm. Style color: Close to 63A             to 63B. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm.             Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to 146A;             heavily whiskered.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Azalea have been     observed to be very tolerant to rain and wind. Plants of the new     Azalea have been observed to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C.     to about 38° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants have not been observed to be     resistant to pathogens and pests common to Azaleas. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Azalea plant named ‘Provence’ as illustrated and described. 